Primitive Christianity and Its Corruptions

Paperback | February 2, 2012

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900. Excerpt: ... DISCOURSE XVIII. THE APOSTLES' AND ATHANASIAN CREEDS; ANALYZED AND COMPARED. "Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."--I Cor. ii. 12, 13. The Apostles' Creed, so named, which I am to notice first in this discourse, is of uncertain origin and date. Next to that of Nicea, already considered, it is, without much doubt, the oldest formulated statement of belief known to Christendom. For many centuries it was supposed to antedate the Nicene confession, adopted in the year 325, being deemed the production of those early promulgators of the Gospel whose name it bears, each of whom was said to have contributed one of its clauses. "Very likely its author was willing it should be thus regarded, as were multitudes of church dignitaries and their blind satellites after him. "All, however," says Mosheim, "who have the least knowledge of antiquity look upon this opinion as entirely false and destitute of all foundation." "There is much reason and judgment," he adds, "in the opinion of those who think this creed was not all composed at once, but from small beginnings was imperceptibly augmented in proportion to the growth of heresy, and according to the exigencies and circumstances of the church, from whence it was designed to banish the errors that daily arose." But from whatever source or period of history it originated it did not appear in ecclesiastical annals until the latter part of the fourth century, and was not admitted to general use in the church, accord, ing to usually received authorities, for a century or...